Kodi update as major changes announced for the popular TV player

Kodi users can now access a swathe of new features thanks to the latest update to the popular TV player.

The team behind the software have just announced the release of v18 Leia – Alpha 2 which includes numerous changes and fixes to stability.

A message on Twitter revealed the news with a tweet saying: “It took some time however here it is: v18 Alpha 2.”

And in a full post on its blog, Kodi said: “Today we present you the second official Alpha build in this pre-release trilogy. It is a continuation of the first one which was released beginning of March and contains our continuous battle against the dark side that consist of bugs and usability problems.”

The update, which is available now, includes improvements to the music and live TV sections.

Other updates bring Windows users a dedicated 64-bit build and Android Smartplaylists mean you can now populate the Android TV screen with content you want.

Kodi also says that they include Google Assistant out of the box.

And there are improvements to video playback with the update making sure content gets the highest CPU/GPU priority over anything else so users shouldn’t get stuttering video

It’s worth noting that this not a final version of the software with Kodi saying they don’t have a set time for an official rollout but it should be sometime this year.

Kodi has been in the spotlight over the past few years over issues with illegal streaming.

The TV player is totally legal but third-party add-ons can be used to view premium content, such as movies and sports, without paying a subscription.

It’s these add-ons and streams that are facing continued pressure with many closing their doors in recent months after threats of blocks, huge fines and even time in prison.

One service, Navi-X, which was first set up in 2007 recently told its loyal fans it simply could not continue to provide content.

Speaking about why it closed, the Navi-X team said: “Every good thing must come to an end.

“After ten years of successful operation, Navi-X has sadly being discontinued. Navi-X was first released in April 2007, and is the oldest Kodi addon of its kind.

“The main reason why the decision was made to discontinue the Navi-X service is the current legal climate surrounding Kodi.”

Another issues for users is the hidden dangers of so-called Kodi boxes.

Authorities have warned that some of the Kodi boxes could have been developed and distributed abroad, having not passed any safety or quality checks and could pose a threat to your device and personal data.

More than a million Kodi boxes have been sold in the UK within the last two years, highlighting just how popular the TV player is.

Kieron Sharp, director general of intellectual property protection organisation FACT, which jointly investigated the boxes, said: “Alongside the risks of exposing your home network to damaging malware and your children to inappropriate content, it should now be clear that the dangers these illegal devices pose far outweigh any benefit of buying them.”

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